Action Report – Carbustershttp://carbusters.org
En till This is the end of Internet Sites webbplatsSat, 13 Dec 2014 12:07:17 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.724501872Campaign for European Night Trains!http://carbusters.org/2014/12/13/campaign-for-european-night-trains/
http://carbusters.org/2014/12/13/campaign-for-european-night-trains/#respondSat, 13 Dec 2014 11:58:30 +0000http://carbusters.org/?p=2987Please join the protest this weekend (and beyond) when so many European
night trains will be scrapped. An e-mail campaign with protests to Deutsche Bahn and other petitions are running well, but organizers call for a massive flood this weekend. Please forward the text below to your local contacts and organizations in your country.
PROTEST WEEKEND – SAVE THE EUROPEAN NIGHT TRAINS!

This weekend will be the last one for many European night trains. It’s a bitter irony that these climate friendly means of long time travel will be scrapped the same weekend as the climate talks in Lima show us the urgency of reducing carbon emissions.

If you live in Germany or France, there will be demonstrations as the last trains leave the stations, see link here
http://www.nachtzug-bleibt.eu/

Our e-mail campaign with protests to Deutsche Bahn and other petitions are getting strong support and it would be nice if it could be a massive flood this weekend.

]]>http://carbusters.org/2014/12/13/campaign-for-european-night-trains/feed/02987Carfree Agenda Takes Root at the 3rd International Degrowth Conference in Venicehttp://carbusters.org/2012/10/17/carfree-agenda-takes-root-at-the-3rd-international-degrowth-conference-in-venice/
http://carbusters.org/2012/10/17/carfree-agenda-takes-root-at-the-3rd-international-degrowth-conference-in-venice/#respondWed, 17 Oct 2012 17:15:13 +0000http://carbusters.org/?p=2810From 19-23 September a number of WCN activists gathered at the 3rd International Conference on Degrowth, Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity in the carfree city of Venice to explore the synergies between the carfree and degrowth agendas and see how the movements could best complement one another.

The first thing that was clear is that the degrowth movement has not concentrated much on questions of personal mobility beyond a general assumption that there will have to be less of it in the future. How much less, which forms of transport are truly in line with the level of degrowth needed, and on which principles they should be run are entirely open questions at the moment. So there is a clear potential to look together in more detail at these issues.

Where the movement, like other related movements (transition towns etc) is much stronger is on the question of localising food supply in order to reduce ‘food miles’ – an urgent imperative given the unsustainability of the current system. Not only does it contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions (transport, although not only of food, makes up around 30% of emissions in the so- called ‘developed’ countries), it is heavily dependent on oil, and has been largely taken over by vast corporations who have neither nutrition nor environmental sustainability as their main motivations.

As well as being a great opportunity to meet new carfree people and hold several meetings on WCN’s activities, new areas for activity presented themselves at the conference. One of the main issues that is raising concern in the network at the moment is the reduction in cross-border rail services that seems to be taking place across Europe. All of Greece’s international services have been cut, drastic cuts are taking place in Serbia and Croatia, and even Venice itself has been totally cut off to train access from Slovenia as there are now no cross-border train services from Slovenia to Italy, leaving visitors coming from that direction to either walk across the border or go via Austria. Not exactly the kind of ‘degrowth’ we had in mind: expect more from WCN on this issue soon.

This summer Ecotopia Biketour will be cycling through southern Europe on a journey “towards degrowth” – challenging the damaging growth mentality of capitalism which overlooks real social and environmental values and linking the alternatives. Each summer for over 20 years people from diverse backgrounds, projects and parts of the world have come together to form an eco-mobile do-it-yourself activist community, journeying in critical mass through city streets and country lanes, up mountains and by the sea. We carry all our equipment on bikes and trailers and make all group decisions by consensus. We are just opening the process of participation and are searching for people and places to connect with along our way.

The story of the biketour begins many moons ago with some motivated young people and an organisation called EYFA (European Youth For(est) Action). They created an environmental activist camp called Ecotopia, which lasted several weeks during the summer of 1989 in Cologne, Germany. One of the main aims was for young people from both Eastern and Western Europe to have the opportunity to learn and have fun in an international group. A lot of effort was put into making everyone’s participation as fair as possible. A new currency – the ‘eco’ – was developed especially for the camp, using rates calculated to take into account people’s different economic background. Another aim of the camp was for the general public to be made conscious of environmental problems and other issues in their local community, while maintaining a more global perspective. At this first Ecotopia, people from all over Europe sat down to turn the dream of a Biketour through Europe into reality. The aims would be the same, and it would be a sustainable way of getting to Ecotopia too.The first Biketour started in May 1990 in Norway – 4000km and 2.5 months later, the group arrived at Ecotopia in Hungary. The political objective of this tour was a campaign for an environmentally responsible traffic policy, less consumption and to end destructive ways of tourism. More than 500 environmentalists from 15 countries cycled along together. Both the organisers and participants were content and enthusiastic at the end. EYFA got the 1st prize of the “European Environmental Award” in Germany for the best youth initiative in 1990. Ecotopia became an annual event, and so did the Biketour. Its distance generally became shorter than the first one, and the group a little smaller but the aims stayed more or less the same. The Biketour continued to happen every summer, so far the mobile community has collectively cycled through almost every country in Europe!

EYFA decided that the Ecotopia camp in Turkey in 2008 would be the last one they organised. Yet the Ecotopia Biketour had become such a project in its own right that it has been organised each year since, through the network that had been built up. While we no longer ride to the Ecotopia Gathering, biketour lives on, after all, the Biketour is a journey not a destination!

Why we do it is pretty simple. For most people it starts with a love of bikes and an enjoyment of the freedom of a mode of travel which is better for the environment and better for your health. More cyclists on the road isn’t just good for those who are cycling, it also challenges the increasingly common idea that long distances can only be travelled by expensive planes, high speed trains and other polluting and energy intensive ways. Cycling is a political action in its own right. As well as this simple political act, we aim to learn from each other and increase our awareness of the network of complex and interconnected issues relating to degrowth by visiting people and places that are involved in struggles and creative responses, contributing in whatever way we can.

Sustainable degrowth is about getting away from an economic system based on endless consumption which overlooks the real social and environmental values of exchange. Rather than a new economic model, it is a tool for opening up discussion. It calls for a reduction in mindless consumption and production in favour of an intelligent use of resources, encouraging ecological stability and cooperative relationships. The vast majority of our ‘modern’ practices overlook these real forms of value, instead favouring limitless growth which is both irrational (as resources are finite) and contributes to social isolation.

This year we will begin in Barcelona in mid July, travelling through Catalonia and southern France into Italy, arriving in Venice just over two months later. On the way we aim to visit bike workshops, ecological agriculture projects, action camps, intentional communities, critical masses and ecovillages and other collectives and places that relate to degrowth. The route is taking form and we are gradually making contacts along the way. After a weekend of workshops and preparing in Barcelona we head via Ca l’afou, an ‘eco-industrial post-capitalist colony’ towards Girona. After that we visit Can Decreix, a new project in Catalunya, just on the French/Spanish border, it’s a new house which is putting degrowth ideas into practice and creating a physical hub for degrowth networks. Naturally we are excited to visit collectif velos en ville, an activist bike workshop in Marseille to try out some crazy bike designs. Many permaculture projects later and into Italy we will join forces with No Tav, the struggle against the high speed train in Val di Susa. At the end of the ride we reach Venice and the third international Degrowth conference where we will join with other groups to celebrate engine free transport. We are in contact with some places along the route but are still searching for interesting stop-offs, if you have ideas please get in touch.

Year after year the project has been pulled together by the effort of countless volunteers, depending on who has energy and ideas. Anyone can join this process; we communicate through an email list and a wiki and have a wintermeeting each year to make important decisions about the following tour. This is an informal network and we welcome all people who want to get involved and help shape the tour both in the planning stage and when our wheels are in motion. It’s an adventure for everyone interested in being part of a sustainable community and travelling without engines.

On a cold November night in Portland, Oregon, as police in riot gear attempted to evacuate the Occupy campers from a downtown park, a contingent of about fifty bike riders took to the streets. Circling the blocks, slowing car traffic, riding around and around, ringing their bells, they were an important part of the struggle. The cyclists aimed to serve as a barrier between the police and the protestors and prove that the streets are for the 99%.

The cyclists that night responded to a call put out by several local activists. It was their first pubic action, and in the months since November 13th, they have engaged in various other acts of protest and celebration, fulfilling their stated goal of “putting the fun between your legs” and of being the two-wheeled cavalry of the Occupy movement. Naming themselves The Bike Swarm, the group of bikers, moving along together joyfully, was a logical addition to the protests since bikes are allowed on the street unlike protestors on foot.

What started as a single act in support of those facing eviction has developed into a coherent project, with its own actions, web site and a playful mission statement. “We are the Occu-riders, the cavalry. We fill the streets with our wheels and our voices. We are a peaceful, convivial band of riders, reminding our fellow demonstrators to stay nonviolent, excited, and diligent. As busy bees, we can fly through downtown and protect the march with our buzzing mobility. We circle sites of civil disobedience, bring messages to and fro, and draw the interest of other Portlanders – including the agents of the empire. When not in flight, we use our bikes to form a protective honeycomb around those on foot. We ride swiftly and stand strong. We are a team. We are a tactic. How can you swarm?”

The bike swarmers are a diverse group. They include men and women, students and bike mechanics. Some, such as artist and filmmaker Katherine Ball, have been involved with political activism for a long time, while for others political engagement is more recent. During a strategy session, held at a local pub, Rich Chase spoke of coming from a military family, and at one time supporting Reagan. A soldier for nine years, it was while stationed in Honduras and Korea that he began questioning the role of US bases around the globe and the war-machine. An Horizon Airlines mechanic and union activist, his involvement in a successful organizing effort convinced him that protesting and standing for one’s rights is essential.

The Swarm has made known its opinions and presence about both local and international issues. It has paid attention to transportation concerns but also to civil rights, work conditions, and war. While great strides have been made in increasing bicycle ridership and resources, Portland is still a car-dominated city. To emphasize alternative options, cyclists circled the hall where mayoral candidates were discussing issues, including a new 12-lane 3.6 billion dollar freeway bridge planned over the Colombia River. Several dozen also turned out on a snowy day to demand the right to ride bicycles in a suburban skate park. The Swarm has galvanized support from other cyclists and people concerned with civil liberties after the police confiscated the “Disco Trike” thatits rider, filmmaker and activist, Dan Kaufman says has “the power to tame any crowd, cause any group of people to break out in spontaneous dance, and provide the soundtrack to the Occupy movement.“ The mayor ultimately decided to release the bike.

Other Swarm actions have included demonstrations against banks, against a possible attack on Iran, and in solidarity with immigrants, Federal postal workers facing mass layoffs as part of the privatization of their workplace, and with port workers. The latter action, on December 12th, was in support of workers whose working conditions have been under attack. During the daylong protest, riders aided in blocking the entrances to the port, helping to shut it down. Several weeks later, acting in solidarity with longshore and warehouse union workers of the Longview, Washington port, (where multi-national agri-business corporations control facilities) they again aided in blocking grain shipments meant to be unloaded by scab-workers. In February, the workers’ demands for union recognition, safe working conditions, job security, and fair wages were achieved.

Responses to the Swarm have varied. Some Portlanders, such as conservative radio talk show host Victoria Taft, have complained that “they are nothing but anarchists on wheels…they use their bikes to frighten and assault the people trying to get to work.“After the initial ride, where obstructing the police in evicting campers was a goal, some local cyclists have said that they would prefer that bicycles not be “politicized,” to avoid a backlash against local cyclists. Bike swarmers have responded, insisting that they are committed to non-violence. A more supportive response was by Portland historian of religion and passionate cyclist, Keith Watkins: “the bicycle brigade conveyed a sense of friendly goodwill that eased tension and softened the tightness of the knots of people…By rolling along through streets jammed with people, they maintained the principle that these streets are there to provide places for traffic to flow. By their personal vulnerability on their fragile machines, they accented the importance of using modest modes of demonstrating power. “

It is impossible not to “politicize” cycling, in a society where cars, speed, and the ideology of expansion and consumption dominate. The Portland Bike Swarm along with the San Francisco Bike Cavalry are part of a long tradition of cyclists/activists contesting the use of public space and power relations. Recent incarnations include the Dutch Provos, Montreal’s Le Monde à Bicyclette, global Critical Mass rides, Reclaim the Street protests in The UK, and rides during the Copenhagen Climate Conference. At the latter, a Bike Bloc, comprised of activists including from the Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination, organized actions. Much earlier antecedents include late 19th century cyclists organizing for better roads and safety and groups such as The Clarion Cycling Club spreading socialist propaganda and organizing, and Suffragettes who took to the streets on their metal steeds to show that women’s place is everywhere.

The Portland riders have promoted a peaceful and positive atmosphere, as a strategy of reaching those still on the sidelines, and also as part of the Occupy movement’s values and practices. Whether the Swarm’s future actions will change if police repression increases is yet to be seen. What is clear however is that like their illustrious ancestors, the Bike Swarm is making another dent in the empire’s shield, and aiding in the toppling of those fortified walls, while having fun in the process.

———

by Alon Raab

Alon Raab rides, teaches classes on the history and culture of the bicycle (as well as religious studies courses) and is involved in environmental and peace work, in Portland, Oregon. He is currently co-editing an anthology of global bicycle literature.

“Want to get your Undriver License™?” This question usually elicits either a surprised “huh?” or a broad smile from visitors to the Undriver Licensing Station™. Wherever it goes – festivals, community events, schools, employee transportation fairs – the Undriving™ program playfully nudges people of all ages to reconsider their transportation choices and get creative about getting around.

Since 2007, the Seattle, WA-based nonprofit, Undriving.org, has issued over 8,000 Undriver Licenses™ to people who make a pledge to reduce car use in the coming month. This positive, empowering approach leads directly to behavior change: 96 percent of Undrivers surveyed report following through on their pledges, and 72 percent report establishing a new transportation habit as a result of the program.

We can all be Undrivers, whether we drive every day or don’t own a car. A committed cyclist might pledge to talk to five people about the joys of bike commuting, while someone who needs to commute by car might pledge to try walking to the grocery store, or not driving on Sundays. The scale of the pledge is less important than the process of experimenting and seeing what we discover.

That the pledge is self-determined, and that it’s framed as an experiment, are both key to the program’s success. At the Station we might offer examples of what other Undrivers have pledged as thought-starters – but each Undriver comes up with his or her own pledge. And as an experiment, we’re trying something new, but we don’t know what the outcome will be.

One Undriver pledged to try bussing to work three days a week, even though this would involve two transfers and 1-1/2 hours each way. After a couple of tries, she decided this wasjust not practical, so she reverted to driving. Failed experiment? Well, back behind the wheel, she found herself feeling so guilty now that her awareness had been increased, that she decided to change jobs so she could work closer to home. Now she walks to work!

We’ve noticed that one change often leads to another. After discovering that bussing or biking to work is actually practical and desirable, many Undrivers start using that mode for other trips, too. One family pledged to leave their second car parked for a month, and try using bikes, walking, carpools, and transit more often. They discovered they really didn’t need the second car – so they sold it!

Undrivers regularly discover multiple benefits from Undriving, some of them unexpected. One woman pledged to try taking the bus to work. First she noticed that her stress level and expenses both went down considerably. Then, she found a wonderful community at her bus stop every morning! She now loves leaving her car at home when she goes downtown. Another Undriver pledged to try commuting by bicycle. He found that he arrived at work with more energy, and he lost weight, too. We might be motivated to get licensed by a concern about climate change, and discover how Undriving benefits our health, community connectedness, stress level, and wallets, as well as the planet.

Undriving.org in Portland, USA

Undriving sparks people’s curiosity, and helps them to tap into their creativity and resourcefulness (which all of us have in spades, whether we realize it or not). I am continually amazed by what Undrivers come up with. One car-free bicycling advocate pledged to teach an adult how to ride a bike – what a gift! Another woman’s pledge was to “get directions before I leave.” Ha! Think of all the miles she won’t drive as a result. Another creative pledge: “Freeze my car keys in a block of ice!”

One Undriver, Jon Ramer, described the Undriving pledging process as “Un-learning.” He thought about what he could do to drive less, and realized that every time he left his house, he got in his car. So his pledge was – to take his car key off his key ring! For the month, when he got to the door, he had to stop and think: do I really need my car for this trip? This simple pledge led to a whole new lifestyle. He and his wife now walk and bike much more than they did before – since he’s broken his own thought-pattern. (Watch this video of Jon’s story)

The license itself is a great reminder to Undrivers to get creative about getting around on a daily basis. It’s also a great a conversation-starter – a positive, non-confrontational way to talk with others about their car use. Undrivers are putting their licenses on commuter bags, backpacks, and Facebook pages, which opens them up to conversations with friends and strangers who ask, What’s that? One Undriver said, “I feel like you gave us permission to raise the issue with others.” Yes!

We’ve created quite a buzz since our launch in 2007, garnering press coverage on the radio, TV, in the New York Times, and even in Spain. We’ve also fielded inquiries from organizations around the country (and beyond), about utilizing the Undriver Licensing program.

We are now in the process of putting this proven program into the hands of organizations that have a mandate to reduce car use and could use a creative way to engage with their communities. Our first Official Licensing Partner, Intercity Transit in Thurston County, Washington, is now successfully utilizing Undriver Licensing™ in their work with employers around Commute Trip Reduction, in four school districts alongside their Safe Routes to School programming, and at public events to increase transit ridership. (If you know of an organization that would be interested in Undriver Licensing™, have them contact us.)

My own personal journey with Undriving began a couple years before Undriving was born. Seven years ago, I had a 1987 Honda Civic hatchback, that I envisioned going for another 100,000 miles. Until – I had a car accident, that was my fault. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but my 17-year-old car was totaled. First I decided not to repair it, and then, not to replace it. But I was not going car-free from a place of empowered choice. Rather, I was doing this out of fear, of my own capacity to be so inattentive. And, I feared that my life as I knew it, was over: I would not be able to do many of the things I loved to do, that I got to by car.

Well, you can imagine how this played out. Of course, it turned out that many destinations were walkable, others were bikeable, and transit filled in most of the other gaps, very well, thank you. Some activities required creative solutions: collaborating with others, catching a ride, or staying overnight with friends when I couldn’t make things work otherwise. And all this led to more connectedness – with people I wouldn’t otherwise have met, with nature, and with the world around me. I also am saving considerable money not owning a car. Buying new tires, replacing the alternator, having insurance – these were all “necessary expenses” with car ownership. It had never occurred to me that the car ownership itself was optional.

These are the kinds of discoveries that Undrivers are making every day through the Undriver Licensing process – but from a much more empowered place than I did.

I see Undriving as an ongoing process – an awareness practice, even. A couple years ago, a friend was coming over to pick me up, so we could go to the movies. All of a sudden it hit me: the miles she was driving, between her house and mine, were my miles! If I was going to take responsibility for my own transportation, I needed to go to her house and we could go from there. Or, better yet, I could invite her to bike or bus with me.

I’d never been aware of this before. And until we are aware of something, we can’t take action on it. This is part of what I love about Undriving. It opens us up to new possibilities, broadens our awareness, and invites us to question our assumptions. Is the bus too inconvenient? Is riding in the rain really that miserable? One woman, a frequent bike commuter, made a pledge to get good raingear. A month later, she reported: “I got over the idea that riding in the rain was too uncomfortable. Now I ride rain or shine!”

Our vision is of a world where more and more people are awake to our own curiosity and resourcefulness – experimenting with reducing our own car use, as well as supporting others to take their own next step, wherever we each are on the Undriving spectrum.

I’ve spent much of my life trying to cajole politicians into common sense policies on cars in cities and, with a London mayoral election due in 2012, have recently distilled five decades of reflections on this topic into 2 sheets of A4 and sent them to my MP, my MEP and both declared mayoral candidates. To make up your own mind, here’s what I’ve sent them. I’ve called my document: A Transport of Delight…

A Transport of Delight*

Despite the presence of historic village names on the TFL route map few Londoners realise their buses still trace ancient parish boundaries that have survived two world wars and centuries of urban sprawl. Yet, when asked where they live, residents of Battersea and Bloomsbury, Hackney and Hoxton, Sydenham and Soho, consistently name their villages as their home. So why has transport planning relentlessly treated London’s villages as routes not
destinations?

I propose that policies that acknowledge and reward Londoners’ enduring village loyalty would improve all residents’ and visitors’ sense of place wherever they went in our amazing, two-thousand-year-old city. I further propose that such policies be offered in itemised village referenda on detailed practical methods of enhancing each village’s environment. If such policies proved acceptable London’s villages might become virtually car-free and walking in
the street would cease to be a battle and become a pleasure.

To accomplish this desirable outcome I propose individual Village Referenda on…

Ø Conversion of existing car parks to village warehousing & delivery centres enabling:
Ø Local delivery of all goods at user’s convenience by silent, fume-free electric trucks.
Ø Signed taxi routes to village cab ranks.
Ø Signed cohesive cycle routes.
Ø Where residents vote for it, implementation of their streets as public gardens.
Ø Tree-planting.
Ø Street tidies – combined planting, seating and waste-recycling points.
Ø Removal of all redundant traffic signs.
Ø Access to pedestrians and cyclists only (with the above exceptions).

In addition I propose individual Village Referenda on…

Ø Green walkways between neighbouring villages.
Ø Continuous cohesive bicycle routes between villages.
Ø Integrated ticketing on all public transport with simple transverse and radial interchange.
Ø Integration of Thames ferry-boats with other public transport.
Ø Pedestrian-friendly interchanges at all main transport hubs including riverside piers.

On Friday, 25th February, 2011, a group of about 50 women—mostly foreigners but with several Bangladeshis—took to the streets of Dhaka on bicycle. The ride was organized by a new group called Arohi (aa-row-hee, from the Bengali word for “rider” and the Sanskrit root “aarohana” meaning ascendance); it was their first ride.

When I first heard about the ride, I hadn’t planned to join. I haven’t cycled in Dhaka in years. The traffic is generally horrendous, and when it moves more smoothly, the speed and aggressive attitude of the drivers makes it terrifying to be vulnerable on a bicycle. Long ago were the pleasant Friday mornings when a few of us would cycle together to and around the Dhaka University campus, have breakfast at a friend’s home, then race home amidst the buses and cars.

But the organizer was so enthused, and all the women cyclists I talked to were so eager, I finally broke down and agreed to go, on my signature red folding bike. After all, there is safety both in numbers and in sticking out. So at 9 a.m. a group of young women gathered in front of the office of WBB to borrow bikes, then rode together to an art gallery, where we were delighted to find a crowd of women and bikes. Altogether there were about 30 of us, a mix of nationalities, languages, and clothing styles….but all eager to ride.

Getting to our destination, a monument on the Dhaka University campus, involved a few hairy spots. I gained confidence as I rode and happily manoeuvred between the cars and rickshaws (and less happily avoided the buses…Dhaka bus drivers unfortunately seem to have little respect for human life), but for those unused to riding in traffic, the experience must not have been so pleasant. But all around there were smiles. I found myself dancing on the bike, kicking out my feet, waving my arms, and shouting slogans: Women cycle! (It is considered unacceptable in Dhaka, and many other parts of Bangladesh, for women to ride bikes.) Cycling is independence! Cycling is joy! We are traffic!

It was hard not to get caught up in the exuberance of it all. The young Bangladeshi women whom we had taught to cycle in our bike training program were brimming over with enthusiasm: when will we do this again??? Riding home, I was on a long stretch of straight, flat, and fairly empty road. I raced, pumping hard, enjoying the adrenaline and the feeling of strength in my legs and lungs. Normally now I only ride a stationary bike, a pathetic substitute for the real thing. It felt like all the sessions on that bike, boring as they are, were practice for this exhilarating moment.

I wanted more. I wanted cycling to be part of my daily routine. The city would shrink. All sorts of places I never or rarely visit would be accessible. Exercise would be fun and wouldn’t require extra time, as it now does. These are all selfish motives. But the group that organized the ride has a deeper mission. Arohi seeks to promote cycling for women in Bangladesh. They wish to break the stigma associated with women cycling. They wish to promote freedom of mobility for women. For low income women, the time it takes to walk everywhere, and the expense and discomfort of buses, are both unaffordable. Being able to ride a bike would mean so much to such women. What to me is pure recreation and fun is to many the first step towards mobility and independence.

I hope Arohi succeeds in its goal. Not only would it make a world of difference for women, but a strong presence demanding safe conditions for cycling in Dhaka could contribute towards making cycling safe for everyone. Bless you, Arohi!

This year the international free public transport day took place on Saturday the 6th of March, and to celebrate it the Swedish commuter organisation Planka.nu arranged a huge – and free! – subway party. The idea was to raise awareness of the free public transport day and the question of making the public transport free, but also to celebrate and increase the feeling of community amongst the commuters in Stockholm.

We boarded the subway train at its first station and dressed it in pink garlands, balloons and Planka.nu merchandise. Then we turned up the volume on our newly released dubstep remix of the 70’s hit single “Love Train” from The O’Jays to welcome everyone boarding the train at the next station, Stockholm Central.

By first making their way into the subway for free and then jumping on the pink party train, all commuters going from the centre of Stockholm out into the suburbs could start their Saturday night party in the subway! Together we partied and celebrated a day of resistance to the fare-society.

The public transport is a place where Stockholmers spend a lot of time, and we wanted it to be more fun, more welcoming… and more pink! In the words of the former major, and founding father of the subway in Stockholm, the late Hjalmar Mehr: “Public transport is built for the common people, it is the carfree’s daily traffic route, every ride should be a feast, every station a colorful fairy castle!”

One day every March, for 35,000 people in Cape Town and their supporters and families, it is “all about the bike”, as the city hosts the world’s largest individually-timed bicycle race.

But, for everyone else within hearing distance of the race, it is all about the car – and how to get by without it. That’s because Cape Town – not a city particularly friendly toward cyclists on every other day – closes some 120km or so of freeway and suburban roads to vehicles.

This year, a collection of non-racing cyclists decided to cash in on Cape Town’s “accidental” annual carfree day and make it “official”, laying claim to a little strip of main road between the Kalk Bay harbour, the beach and the city’s most picturesque rail line on the one side, and the race-route on the other. Traffic police kept private cars out at the cycle tour end, and orange bollards and a security guard discouraged cars at the other. And so it happened that the bookshop, the baker and the pancake maker did a brisk trade for passers-by, dog walkers and race-watchers; children (and a few grown-ups) drew chalk patterns on the tar, and Sunday morning felt suitably slow-paced and carfree. Far more effective than a road sign-post saying, “slow down, children playing”, is, er, children playing.

“Where do you usually ride?”, I asked one small boy in a crash helmet. “Nowhere”, he said. “It’s my first time.” Then he laid down on his skateboard to recover…

On Friday, March 19th, agent-technicians from the Bureau Of Organized Bikelane Safety (B.O.O.B.S.) descended by bicycle on the intersection of Broadway and 23rd Street in New York. The B.O.O.B.S. is charged with clean-up and removal of all gas-guzzling, dangerous vehicles illegally parked in and polluting city bike lanes. While preparing to patrol, multiple members of the media competed for the inside scoop on the B.O.O.B.S. Several civilian bicyclist supporters joined the ride in hopes of seeing the action.

The agents slowly proceeded up 6th Avenue, targeted for clean-up due to noxious amounts of motor vehicle traffic. Though encountering an estimated average of 1.5 toxic obstructions per block, the B.O.O.B.S. team found that the bikelane contamination level, while still very hazardous, was less than expected. It only takes one toxic obstruction to sully the utility and beauty of a bikelane. Several obstructions were only partial, and removal was generally prompt as the team employed clean-up methods including gentle reminders to polluters of the law regarding bikelanes. A choreographed de-briefing occurred at the end of the patrol.

The B.O.O.B.S. is hard at work to clean up these pollutants which disrupt the delicate urban environment, but it will take some major inter-agency cooperation to prevent all the Class II bikelanes in New York City from being declared Superfund sites.